Trailer attachment.



ARTHUR L. HOLMES, 33., 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO MAY E. HOLMES,0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

TRAILER ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. is, 1917.

Application filed June 16, 1917. Serial No. 175,678.

' therein to the accompanying drawings. 10 k This invention relates to atractor attachment, and has special reference to a draft appliance bywhich a trailer or other vehicle may be easily and quickly connected toa tractor, motor truck or power vehicle to bedrawn or moved thereby.

The primary object of my invention is to furnish the frames of a tractoror motor truck with a draft appliance to which a A trailer or othervehicle can be, connected to have the universal movement relatively tothe tractor frame, and at the same time have a degree of yieldabilityrelatively to the tractor so as to facilitate starting and stopping,besides relieving the trailer connecting means of stresses and strainsduring the operation of the trailer by a tractor.

Another object of my invention is to provide trailer and tractorcoupling means embodying a reciprocable member on which a trailer bodyor frame may have a universal movement. Besides possessing theadjustment of an ordinary fifth wheel, the trailer body or frame mayrock or tilt relatively to the reciprocable member, consequently thetrailer may adjust itself relatively to the tractor andthis is desirablewhen rough and .irregular ground is encountered.

A further object of my invention is to provide a trailer attachmentwherein the parts are constructed with a view of reducing the cost ofmanufacture, and at the same time retain those features by which safety,durability and ease of assembling and installing are secured.

-With such ends in view, my invention resides in the novel constructioncombination and arrangement of parts to be herein after specificallydescribed and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is alongitudinal sectional view of a trailer attachment;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, partly broken .away and The referencenumeral 1 denotes the usual channel frame of a tractor, motor truck orpower vehicle, and mounted on these frames are transverse channelmembers 2 and 3 having the ends thereof held by straps 4' riveted orotherwise connected to the upper lateral flanges of the frames 1, asbest shown in Fig. 2. The transverse members 2 and 3 are connected bylongitudinally disposed outer channel members 5 and similarly disposedinner channel members 6, the latter being set in a plane slightly belowthe plane of the outer members 5, so that guide strips 7 can besecuredto the upper lateral flanges of the inner members 6. The guidestrips 7 cooperate with the upper lateral flanges of the members 5 insupporting a plate 8 which may be riveted or otherwise connected to theouter members 5. The outer members 5 are connected to the transversemembers 2 and 3 by angle brackets 9 and angle braces 10, while the innermembers 6 are held by angle brackets 11.

Slidable between the inner longitudinal members 6 and resting on theupper flanges thereof between the guide strips 7 is a king pin block 12provided with a transverse opening 13. Connected to the block 12 andextending through transverse members 2 and 3 and bearings 14 carriedthereby are draw rods or bars 15 and 16 suitably connected to the block12. Encircling the rod 15, between the member 3 and the block 12 is acoiled spring 17 and a similar spring ison the rod 16 between the member2 and the block 12. The rod 16 extends forwardly and has a stop member19 for a spring 20 encircling said rod.

Slidable on the plate 8 is a convexo-concave fulcrum or fifth wheelmember 21 having a central opening 22 and on said fulcrum member is awear plate 23 carried by frames or a block 24 of a trailer body or frame25. Between the frame 24 or in said block is a center plate 26 and thisplate and the bottom plate 23 are provided with open-- ings 28 toreceive a king pin or bolt 27. The king pin or bolt 27 extends throughthe opening 22 of the member 21, through a through the block 12, saidking pin or bolt being held relatively tp the block 12 by a v transversepin 30 extending into the opening- 13 of said block. I

The upper end of the king bolt 27 is "beveled so that the-wear or bottomplate 23 ill) can be easily placed down over the king bolt and in thismanner the trailer. frame or body trailer can be removed easilyconnected to the tractor frame. The Wear plate 23 cooperates with theconvexoconcave member 21 and the king bolt 28 in providing universalconnection between the trailer and the tractor, so that besides theusual fifth Wheel action, there maybe a rocking movement of the forwardend of: the trailer relatively to the rear end of the tractor.

In operation, the initial forward movement of the tractor brings thespring 17 into action, and this spring is placed under compression whenthe tractor is pulling the trailer. l'Vhen there is a heavy load on thetrailer or considerable resistance of the trailer to move with thetractor, then the spring 20 is brought into action, to cooper ate withthe spring; 17 in establishing a more rigid pulling connection betweenthe tractor and the trailer. Since the springs l? and 20 will resist thesliding or linear move ments of the member 21 upon the plate 8, it

is pc ble to utilize the expansive force of sp and the momentum of thetractor in starting load; the direct pull of the tractor beingsufficient to maintain the trailer in motion when the tractor isstarted. springs 17 and 20, however, constitute the yieldaljaleconnection between the trailer andftlie tractor to permit of certainretardations part oi the trailer, relatively to the actor, particu arlywhen ruts or ob stacies are encountered, and resisting any excessiveforward moveiinent of the trailer rel atively to tractor is a spring 18,which is also brought into action when backing the n ctor that it isonly necestne tractor, then the brake swung movement of the tractor thei7 and :20 under ten 3it11$lV force of said springs will t ailcr andthen by allowing pi aceed, the trailer safely uts or over an obstacle.rat the spring 17 will permit -15 bacl: and f i get a sidevviseposition. relatively to the trailer, so the tractor may pull -at anangle to the trailer and then remove one wheel the trailer from adiliicult position, and then maneu er the tractor to an other positionso that the other Wheel of the from a ditlicult position. it is adistinct and important advantage in connection with my invention.

One embodiment of my invention has been such variations andmodifications as fall I Within the scope of the appended claims.

'VVhat T. claim is:

1. lfrailer coupling means for a tractor comprising a tractor plate, amember slidable on said plate, a trailer Wear plate having a universalmovement on said member, a king bolt extending through said Wear plate,member and tractor plate, and means below said tractor plate adapted toresist longitudinal movement of said member on said tractor plate.

2. Trailer-coupling means for tractors, comprising a tractor plate, amember slidable on said plate, a trailer Wear plate fulcrumed on saidmember, a king bolt block below said tractor plate, a king bolt carriedby said block and extending through said member and said Wear plate, andmeans adapted to resist movement of said king bolt block relativelyto-said tractor plate.

3. The combination with a tractor, and a trailer, of means establishingdriving yieldable connections between said tractor and trailer,comprising longitudinal frames on said tractor, a plate-above saidframes, a member slidable on said plate, a trailer Wear plate fulcrumedon said member, a king bolt block slidable between said frames, a kingbolt carried by said bloc extending through said member and said trailerWear plate, draw rods carried by said hing bolt block, and springs onsaid draw rods adapted to resist longitudinal movement of said king boltblock relatively to said frames.

l. Trailer coupling means for tractors, comprising tractor transversemembers, iongitudinal members connecting said transverse members, aplate on all of said me bers, a convexo-concave member slidable onplate, a trailer Wear plate iulcrumed on said convene-concave member, aking bolt block slidable between said longitudinal members, a king boltcarried by said block extending through said conveXo-eoncave member saidtrailer Wear plate, draw rods carried by said king bolt block, andextending through said tractor transverse inei'nber, and springs on saiddraw rods adapted to be successively brought into action during thepulling of said trailer by LEWIS Fnsnnnns, KARL ll. BUTLER.

